VINCENT PUGLIESE / Courier & Press
The dashboard inside one of the Toyota Priuses purchased by the Evansville Fire Department displays the energy consumption as the car is driven. At more than 40 miles to the gallon, Assistant Fire Chief Charlie Mangold said the Priuses get nearly four times better mileage than the 1994 Crown Victorias they replaced.

This photo shows one the Toyota Priuses the Evansville Fire Department purchased recently. The vehicles use an internal computer to maximize mileage — automatically switching between gas and battery power as necessary.

While stopped at a red light in one of the Evansville Fire Department's three Toyota Priuses, the hybrid sedan emits a faint click and the engine literally shuts off.

The resulting silence, which lasts only until acceleration effortlessly spurs the engine back online, is already translating into significant decreases in fuel costs and vehicle emissions, department officials said.

The Priuses, which the Fire Department purchased last month, use an internal computer to maximize mileage &#8212; switching between gas and battery power automatically as necessary.

At more than 40 miles to the gallon so far, Assistant Fire Chief Charlie Mangold said the Priuses get nearly four times better mileage than the 1994 Crown Victorias they replaced. Those cars topped out at about 12 miles to the gallon.

Considering that and the environmental benefits of the reduced emissions from the Prius, Mangold said it's not hard to see why the department is pleased with their new hybrids.

&quot;It's a considerable savings,&quot; he said. &quot;And not only were (the Crown Victorias) not doing well on gas, but they were probably putting out more pollutants than we'd care to talk about at this point. So it's a win for everyone, I think.&quot;

The Priuses still need a little work &#8212; they're due to get emergency lights added this week and will eventually have radio systems installed &#8212; but so far, Mangold said they have been a near-perfect addition to the department's fleet.

Mangold initially drove one to see how it worked and to get a feel for its array of unique features, like starting with a push of a button rather than a key or using a touchscreen computer to command virtually all of the dashboard tools.

Since then, they have been assigned to the department inspectors, who do a lot of in-town, non-emergency start-and-stop driving.

Those uses suit the Prius perfectly, Mangold said. While it gets better gas mileage, it does lack the high-performance engine and heavy-duty braking standard in the Crown Victorias.

That makes it a less appealing option for department vehicles which respond to 911 calls and active fires.

Mangold, though, said that's certainly not out of the question down the road, particularly as hybrid performance standards improve.

&quot;Could that happen in the future? Sure,&quot; he said. &quot;(The Priuses) can already go 75 miles to 100 miles an hour if you want them to. But that's not the objective there. The objective is to be economically and fiscally responsible.&quot;

In the early stages &#8212; each of the three has only about 1,000 miles so far &#8212; the Priuses have already proven to be big money savers.

Other local emergency responders have also made preliminary inquiries to the fire department about the Prius, Mangold said. It fits a city policy initiated last year requiring departments to purchase the most environmentally safe and fuel efficient vehicles possible, and it translates into a big savings at the fuel pump.

&quot;It comes down to dollars and cents,&quot; he said. &quot;Provided the lighting system and radios work, we're going to be extremely happy with this.&quot;